Fabric and process of making same



: May 19, 1925.

w. G. LINDSAY FABRIC AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME Original Filed Jan. 12,1918 film? fi my/Z72 Composition Patented May 191 1925.

WILLIAM G. LINDSAY, or NEWARK. NEW JERSEY,

ASSIGNOR TO THE CELLULO COMPANY, A CORPORATION 01? NEW JERSEY.

FABRIC AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME.

Original application filed January 12, 1918, Serial No. 211,661. Dividedand this application filed April 22, 1918. Serial No. 229,891.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I. WILLIAM G'. LINDSAY. a citizen of the UnitedStates; residing at Newark in the county of Essex and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fabrics andProcesses of Making Same, of which the followingis a. specification. V

The principal object of my invention is to provide a new and improvedcmnposb tion of matter having the quality of flexibility as well asother desirable qualities. This and other objects of my invention willbe made apparent in the following specification and claims, in which Idisclose certaiu specific embodiments of the invention.

It has been known that when it was de sired to make a variety ofcelluloid or similar substance having a high degree of flexibility, thisend could be attained by the addition of castor oil. Thus. in additionto the usual ingredients in celluloid. namely, nitrocellulose andcamphor. a more flexible variety could be obtained by the inclusiontherewith of a certain amount of castor oil. On the other hand,compositions obtained in this way have a number of disadvantages. Theymay become rancid and some preservative has to be included to counteractthis: also such a composition including castor oil is apt to deterioraterather rapidly and become weak and brittle. Castor oil has been used toconfer flexibility on other celluloidlike substances, such as acomposition of matter obtained by bringing together in a suitable mannernitrocellulose and tricresylphosphate.

I have discovered an improved way for securing flexibility of such amaterial, by which the use of castor oil is entirely avoided and itsdisadvantages are avoided and a superior product is obtained.

Heretofore. in the preparation of a celluloid-like substance fromnitrocellulose and tricresylphosphate, the proportions used have beenusually about 100 parts of nitrocellulose and 30 to parts oftricresylphosphate. .This gives a firm-celluloid-like substance when itis molded. Like celluloid it can be given an increased flexibility bythe addition of castor oil. My discovery and improvement involvesgreatly increasing the proportion of tricresylphosphate and not usingany castor oil. The following is is intimately parts oftricrcsylphosphate and unite them in accordance with the proceduredescribed in my Patent- No. 1233,37 1, that is, I Wet the nitrocelluloseand then work the tricre-' splphosphate in with it until a homogeneousplastic mass is obtained. Next, I extract the moisture and then add asmall proportion of any suitable solvent, such for example as acetone.alcohol and ether or any other of the well known pyroxylin solventswhich will also dissolve tricresylphosphate, and 100 parts additional oftricresylphosphate and work this up on kneading rolls until it isthoroughly mixed and homogeneous and then press it into a solid block.In this form the composition is of yielding flexible character likeindia rubber.

If sheets of any thickness are desired, they may be shaved from thisblock by shaving machines in the same manner as from celluloid blocks,or by dissolving the product in volatile' solvents flowing and solvent.Upon application of pressure, to-

gether with heat the sheet of the substance united to the fabric. Theresult is a highly flexible water-proof fabric. It can be crumpledupcompactly in the hand without acquiring without breaking the coating.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, this represents diagrammaticallysuch 2. flex ible sheet like product obtained by the use of my improvedcomposition.

F ig. 1 shows a coated sheet, and

Fig. 2 shows a modification of the coated sheet.

I may use other proportions of'tricresylphosphate. Indeed I secureincreased flexibility with proportions running all the way from 60 to500 parts in the aggregate of tricresylphosphate to 100 parts ofnitrocellulose.

For some uses. I may substitute triphenylphosphate or other aromaticphosphate in tially the same proportions as above specified, but ingeneral I prefer tricresylphos any set andv phate because of itssuperior qualities and resulting better product. i

The substance has many applications. By using a large quantity ofsolvent it can be obtained in liquid form and then brushed upon fabricor other surfaces like a varnish and when the solvent dries out theflexible coating will remain closely adherent to the surface. By using asuitable fabric and suitable thickness of the material herein describedand claimed, I can produce superior varieties of so-called artificialleather and the surface can be stamped in imitation of morocco oralligator skin or in any other way; These are only a few suggestions ofthe many uses to which the improved material may be put.

In addition to flexibility my improved composition has otheradvantageous qualities as follows: it is much more durable than thosecelluloids or celluloid-like substances which have been made flexible bythe addition of castor oil; it is waterproof and also non-inflammable.The ingredients are comparatively inexpensive and the process of unitingthem is not expensive so that the material may be cheaply produced.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 211,661,filed January 12,

1918, for a pyroxylin compound and proces of making same.

moisture from said mixture, incorporating in such mixture more than 60parts of additional liquid aromatic phosphate by the aid of a volatilesolvent, and applying the resulting composition in the form of a thinsheet to a supporting fabric.

2. A process-consisting of intimately mixing hydrous nitrocellulose anda liquid tricresylphosphate in the proportion of approximately 40 partsofthe phosphate to 100 parts of the nitrocellulose, extracting themoisture from said mixture, incorporating in such mixture more thanparts of addi tional liquid tricresylphosphate by the aid of a volatilesolvent, and applying the resulting composition in the form of a thinsheet to a supporting fabric.

3. A tough, permanently flexible sheet consisting of a flexible backingof fibrous material united to a layer of a homogeneous compositionconsisting of parts nitrocellulose colloided by upwards of 100 parts ofa liquid tricresylphosphate.

WILLIAM G. LINDSAY.

